Jack for raising truck frames



OCt. 4, F` KOEHLER JACK FOR RAISING TRUCK FRAMES Filed May 25. 1931 Patented oct. 4, 1932 yFREDEILEICH KOEHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS JACK FOR RAISING TRUCK FRAMES yApplication filed May 25, 1931. Serial No. 539,815.

This invention relates' to jacks for raising truck frames and has for its principal objects to produce a jack for lifting the side frame in which all possibility of slipping is eliminated l under the truck frame and be securely anchored by its engagement with the head of Y the rail.

VThese and other objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent from the specification and the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the jack properly placed under the side frame of a railway car;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the jack;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the jack in lowered position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the jack in the raised position.

The construction of a railway car journal is such that the journal brasses may only be removed when the truck side frame has been lifted suiliciently to allow them to be withdrawn over the car axle. The side frame must be acked up whenever the journal brasses are to be renewed and it is distinctly advantageous to jack up the side frame and remove the journal brasses in order to inspect the bearings in a thoroughgoing manner. Previously, jacks which have been used are adaptations of the well-known Barrett type and have required that a yoke or anchor be used which engages the wheel in order to keep the raising bar from slipping. Not only is this a relatively clumsy contrivance which does not lend itself well to maintenance work,

but 'there is considerable danger that the anchors may slip and seriouslyinjure the workmen. These defects are eliminated in the apparatus which I now propose.

The jack, generally indicated by 10, is composed of two spaced web elements 11 and 12 which bear out-turned portions 13 and 14 bent to engage the foot plate 15. The webs are anchored to the i''oot plate by the bolts 16.

`VA block 17 held between the webs by the bolts 18 spaces the webat the opposite end.

Two levers are pivoted on the webs, one, a raising bar 19 is pivoted at 21 on the pin 22 r and the other, a cranked lever 23, is pivoted n" at 24 on the bolt 25. As is best shown in Fig. 3, the operating lever is` so placed that its working arm 26 lies beneath the raising bar19. Its end is slotted at 27 and bears a roller 28 fitted therein which is journaled on the pin 29. f

` The pressure receiving arm 31 of the operating lever is forged or machined into a cylindrical form in order that a pipe eXtension handle 32 may be slid thereover. The stop 33, attached to the foot plate 15, engages the arm 31 just after the arm 26 has passed dead center and thus locks the ack almost in its maximum yelevated position. The pin 22 maybe' formed with the extension head 35 thereon to form a handle which is useful in placing or removing the jack.

An important element of this invention is found in the projections or'claws 34 which 75 I'prefer to form integrally with the webs at their inner ends. These are adapted to engage the inner face of the head of the rail and prevent the jack from moving or slipping laterally.

In operation, the inner end of the jack is slid under the lowermost and approximately the central portion of the side frame and allowed to rest upon the rail'with the projections 34 engaging the head. The outer end 85 is held up by adjustable blocking, as shown at 37 in Figs.3and 4, a procedure which is necessary because of the irregularities in the roadbed.

When the upper margins of the webs are approximately level, the pipe 32 is then pulled away from the car which causes the work arm 26 of the operating lever to rise and carry with it the raising bar 19. This, as is indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, engages the side frame 36 and raises it.

'Also, as is indicated by the figures, the working arm 26 has lifted the raising bar to its maximum, passed on through a slight angle .and dropped the bar slightly. In other Y Words, it is intended that theioperating lever shall pass dead center., and, in consequence7 the jack is firmly locked in the raised position Whenever the operating lever is pushed down to such an eXtent that the arm 3l engages the stop 33. With the side frame in the raised position, the journal brasses are freed and may then be removed orY inspected.

Itwill thus be seen that I have produced a simple, rugged7 relatively light, portable'j ack which may be slid under the side frames without difficulty and which' cannot slide laterally since it is rigidly held by the rail. Since Y `a single unit lis used, no relative motion is tackle previously used. Y yThis Ais 'an important contribution to safety possible. The claws andthe single rigid base perform all the functions of theanchoring over methods which require. sonrie yoke or harness, which always involves the danger that the tackle may slip or that the jack may buck. v t What I claim, therefore, is: 1

1. Ajack for raisingcar truck frames com# I prising a base, a lever pivoted tothe base adapted to be raised therefrom to engage and lift a car truck frame, a foot portion prof vided onv the base near the pivot of the lever formed to be received over arail, and prevent lateral movement between the jack and the rail, and another foot portion'provided on ,the base Vspac'edfrom therst footand posi-V tioned in v'a horizontal plane lower thanfthat .of the first footadapted to receive an adjustable' support placed on the roadway, in com- Y about its pivot." 2. A' ack for raising car truck frames co1nbination with means l'for rotating said lever prising a Abase',-a lever pivoted to the base i adapted to be raised therefrom to engage and lift a car truck frame, a foot. portion provided ori-the base below the horizontal plane of the pivot point formed to be received over a rail and prevent lateral movement between the jack and the'rail, and another foot porn tion provided on the base spaced from'the rst foot'and positioned'in a still lower horiV Zontalplane adapted to receive an adjustable support placed on theroadvvay,v in combination l.with meansfor'rotating said leve-r about its pivot.

' 3. A jack as claimed inclaiml in which Y l the base includes a pair of substantially L- shaped webs secured together, the end of the horizontalv portion vof each web is provided with a Projection fol? engaging' .the had of a:

rail, and theend ofthe vertical portion isv vprovided with lateral flange for Yengaging an adjustable support Von the roadway.

4. A jack as claimed in claim lf in which` the truck frame engaging lever is pivoted on* `A the basey between the `spaced footportions 5. AA jack for lifting a car truck framein` cluding a base p-rovided vwith spacedV foot 

